


Duality

by SirKai



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Abuse, Depression, Gen, Insanity, M/M, Multiple Personalities
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-08-05
Updated: 2012-08-05
Packaged: 2017-11-11 12:37:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/478619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirKai/pseuds/SirKai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Lieutenant drags his broken mind and body from the wreckage of the equalist movement, and still clings to his tyrannical leader. The Lieutenant now struggles to either face a world without Amon, or follow the vision of his master into even more misery and destruction.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Damned

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a series of quick and sporadic events, following a scenario in which Lieutenant is left hopeless and fatally wounded after the events of the season 1 finale. He suffers intense depression, but finds Amon's mask and restores the equalist leader in his own mind as an additional, psychotic personality. Lieutenant then accepts the guilt and responsibility for failing the equalist movement. Between the nightmares that twist his past, and his newly formed vision of Amon, the Lieutenant begins to question everything around him. This is also within the same continuity as the following fics and headcanons (Lieutenant is a former firebender, and Lieutenant and Amon were lovers):  
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/447479  
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/470728  
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/464258  
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/458937  
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/453998  
> http://veitstanz.tumblr.com/post/26586254682  
> http://veitstanz.tumblr.com/post/25877980932  
> http://veitstanz.tumblr.com/post/26656222510

He killed them. 

Dark smoke slithered from their bodies and dissipated into the night air. The Lieutenant absorbed the scene for a moment, feeling the heat vanish from his fingertips, and collapsed to his knees against the rain soaked ground. He nearly choked on his heaving breaths.

He had done it. He never thought he would do it again. And he did it front of _him_.

Heavy footsteps passed the Lieutenant from behind, each step slapping rain water across his uniform.

“So, this is what you are?”

Lieutenant craned his neck up at the figure towering over him. It was silhouetted against the whiteness of the moon, except for the paleness of the mask and the yellow eyes behind it.

“I should have known.”

His gloved fingers tore at his mask. The Lieutenant ripped it from his face and clutched it in his hands. He shook his head at Amon, no longer aware of whether the dampness on his face was from the rain or his own eyes.

“You are nothing but a mistake,” Amon said. He stepped towards his subordinate, outstretching an arm. “But one that I will correct.”

Lieutenant’s eyes widened and mouth gaped as Amon’s thumb slid up his face and nestled on his forehead. He stared up into the oncoming rain. Warm liquid ticked at his skin and it seeped down his face. The blood leaked into his mouth, and pooled into his eyes until he could see only a blurred crimson. Gags erupted from his throat. His arms twitched and convulsed, fingers clenching into shaking fists.


	2. Awake

He tried to scream, and thrashed out with his arms and legs. His lungs choked for breath. The Lieutenant clasped a damp hand at the edge of the mattress and scrambled from the bed, collapsing to the floor with blood stained sheets tangled around his limbs. 

The blood collecting in his mouth trailed down his chin. 

He crawled across the bedroom and scratched at the knob of the bathroom door. The stubby nails of his fingers scraped clumsily over the bronze handle as he gripped it, and shouldered his body through the doorway. His legs felt weightless as they stumbled towards the mirror.

Lieutenant clutched the edge of sink. Blood spattered from his mouth into the bowl. His fingers scratched the tiled countertop as he collapsed to the floor, stifled wheezes turning into heaving gasps. He wiped his bare arm across his mouth, and stared into the yellow eyes above.

“Disgusting,” Amon berated. “A miserable affliction. Fitting for such a miserable man.”

“Amon,” the Lieutenant pleaded. He shook his head as he spoke. “I’m sorry, Am-”

“Do not call me that!” Amon stomped his foot at his subordinate. “You have failed me, Lieutenant. Countless times, you have failed me. And now you sit, whimpering like a struck animal.”

Lieutenant stared into the floor, his damp hair hanging over his face. He kept shaking his head.

“You were defeated by a bender, Lieutenant. Defeated by nothing but a hollow lie. You let a weak-minded tyrant wrend your body, and you lied down and did nothing.”

Lieutenant’s breaths started to steady, and he stared back up at the mask with blood shot eyes. “I’m sorry, sir.”

Amon’s hand shot at his subordinate’s head. His fingers gripped at the Lieutenant’s black hair, yanking the scalp. “There is no apology you could ever cough up that would convince me to forgive you.” The mask reeled in closer to the Lieutenant’s face. Their eyes were only inches apart. Neither of them blinked. “The movement will march on, Lieutenant. With, or without you.”

Lieutenant’s hair slipped from Amon’s fingers. His head hung forward like a limp fishing lure.

The equalist leader stepped towards the bathroom door, barely motioning his head towards the Lieutenant as he spoke. “We have work to do tonight, so get dressed. And trim your hair, Lieutenant. You look unsightly.”


End file.
